Paul Bradford (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach for the opportunity to seek an update from the Minister for Health, Deputy Varadkar. Presumably, the Minister of State, Deputy Deenihan, will speak on his behalf on the response to or take-up in respect of the Government's recent decision to levy people aged over 35 who take up health insurance for the first time after 30 April 2015. I have mixed feelings about the scheme. While I appreciate that we must do everything possible to encourage people to enter the private health insurance market as part of the long-term move towards some type of universal health insurance, I have a difficulty with the concept of compulsory insurance being almost imposed on people. This is as close to compulsory as we can get.

I would be interested to know what the public response has been. The deadline is tonight. It would be helpful, even at this late stage, if the Minister would extend the deadline. There has been much public advertising, and we have been advised that there has been a significant public response, although it may not have been the response which was expected. During the past week, I have listened to many health insurance commentators speaking on the radio and, on the whole, they are in favour of the proposal. Many families are still under major financial stress and strain and it is difficult to encourage people who, for various reasons, have not taken out health insurance, to do so. It might be helpful to have flexibility on the closing date for the new terms and conditions.

While we are discussing the broad issue of private health insurance, it is fair to say that there is a level of disappointment at the abandonment of the Government's universal health insurance proposal. While it was always, perhaps, aspirational and it was a high bar to jump, it appears it is dead in the water. We must return to the drawing board regarding health insurance, given that the universal health insurance scheme figures do not seem to add up. Medical costs are still the most significant issue regarding health insurance and the health service in general. Medical costs are not being challenged and tacked sufficiently. As costs continue to escalate, it does not take a rocket scientist to confirm that health insurance costs will also rise. This has been a primary difficulty in the market during recent years. Issues such as insurance claims and medical insurance costs are part of the mix. The Minister, Deputy Varadkar is still relatively new to the job and is, presumably, working day and night to get a hold on it. However, the Department of Health and its problems have been with us for so long that we sometimes despair that change and progress is so slow.

Could the Minister of State confirm the level of take-up and what it means? What about the people who cannot afford to take out even the most basic policies on offer? It is pertinent to advise people that some of these very basic packages are health insurance in name only and offer very few benefits. While I understand why the Government felt community rating had to be defended in this fashion, there are other issues from the point of view of competition in the market and, above all, the costs of medical care, medical provision, medical insurance and medical claims, and these must be part of the solution. I look forward to the Minister of State's update on the take-up of health insurance under the scheme.